Making Dinner Plans

Turning into a mermaid at Trader Joe's

While I started with the best intentions, dinner planning has become quite a lame effort for me. I make sure to have a meat for the hubby and the main dish and something else that I know my two younger ones will eat, like pasta and nuggets. My plans to eat only healthy, unprocessed foods quickly gave way to timesavers that I knew my kids would eat instead, even if they were not the most nutritious fare.

Here's a conversation I had today with the girl (4yo), while we were out running errands:
(I'm calling her Perry, because lately, she insists that she is Perry the Pet Platypus)

Perry: Mami, can we have macaroni and cheese?

Me: Oooh, yeah, that sounds like a great idea for dinner.

Perry: Yeah, and everybody can eat it. {Instead of the separate things the kids eat vs the grownups}

Me: We could have fish sticks to go with it {since I didn't make enough yesterday and she really wanted some.}

Perry: Oooh yeah, and can I have broccoli too?

Me: Oooh, that's a perfect dinner. A veggie, a carb and a protein. That's a great idea, girlie!

Perry: That's what I'm talking 'bout!

I cracked up at the last statement, said with perfect timing and inflection. My little mini me is becoming adventurous. To actually dream that she'd eat three DIFFERENT foods at one sitting is borderline miraculous.

Making dinner plans like these sure lightens my load.

Quick Tips: Fast Cooking in the Kitchen

Here are some fast cooking tips that you can use right when you are in the thick of attempting to get dinner done.

1. When pressed for time, cut whatever you are cooking into smaller pieces.  Meats, potatoes, etc, cook much faster when the pieces are small.  This is the reason why stir fry foods cook so fast.

2. Ground meat always makes a great meal fast.  Even if it's frozen, you can still quickly brown it while cooking pasta for a quick, filling meal in about a half hour.

3.  Still in a rush?  Use a lid to cook foods faster and retain moisture.  This saves time and energy because the lid traps heat that continues to help cook the covered food.

4. Need to thicken something that came out too watery?  Just add a bit of flour or cornstarch.  This will absorb extra fluid and can give a dish a nice, creamy texture.

If you want more cooking inspiration, check out my Ten Fast and Easy Cooking Tips.